IKrismesi—Ngaba Yindlela Yokwamkela UYesu?

UKUZALWA koMsindisi, uMesiya owayelindelwe kwakudala, ngokwenene kwakulixesha lovuyo. Isithunywa sezulu savakalisa oku kubalusi ababekummandla waseBhetelehem: “Yabonani, ndinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo zovuyo olukhulu, oluya kuba kubo bonke abantu; ngokuba nizalelwe namhlanje emzini kaDavide uMsindisi, onguKristu iNkosi.” Inkitha yezithunywa zezulu yathelela, idumisa uThixo isithi: “Uzuko kuThixo enyangweni, uxolo emhlabeni, inkolelo ebantwini.” (Luka 2:10-14) Bambi basenokugqiba ngelokuba amaKristu afanele axelise izithunywa zezulu ekuvakaliseni uvuyo ngokufika kukaKristu emhlabeni ngelo xesha.

Le yayingeyongxelo yokuqala yeBhayibhile engezithunywa zezulu zidanduluka ngeengoma zendumiso. Xa sandlalwayo isiseko somhlaba, ‘amemelela kunye amakhwezi okusa, ibe oonyana bakaThixo baduma bonke.’ (Yobhi 38:4-7) Umhla ochanileyo wesi siganeko awubhalwanga eBhayibhileni. (Genesis 1:1, 14-18) Enoba sasivuyisa kangakanani na eso sihlandlo, amaKristu awazange eme ngelokuba ngenxa yokuba izithunywa zezulu zadumayo, afanele akubhiyozele nyaka ngamnye ukudalwa komhlaba aze mhlawumbi amkele umbhiyozo wobuhedeni wokukhumbula eso sihlandlo.

Kodwa oko koko kanye abantu ababhiyozela iKrismesi abakwenzayo ngokuzalwa kukaYesu Kristu. Ukukhangela phantse kuyo nayiphi na intyilalwazi enokuthenjwa phantsi komxholo othi “Christmas” kuqinisekisa ukuba umhla wokuzalwa kukaYesu awaziwa. IBhayibhile ayithethi nto ngaloo mhla.

“Xa Ixilongo Lithe Lalila Ngezwi Elingaqondakaliyo”

Xa wayelungisa ukungalungelelani kwebandla kwiKorinte yamandulo umpostile uPawulos wabhala oku: “UThixo akangowesiphithiphithi, ngowoxolo.” Kwakwesi sibhalo sinye wabuza oku: “Xa ixilongo lithe lalila ngezwi elingaqondakaliyo, ngubani na owoyixhobela imfazwe?” (1 Korinte 14:8, 33) Ngoku, ukuba uThixo wolungelelwano ebefuna ukuba amaKristu abhiyozele ukuzalwa koNyana wakhe emhlabeni, ngaba ebeya kuyekela ebantwini abangafezekanga ukuba bazikhethele umhla kwimibhiyozo yobuhedeni baze bamkele uqheliselo olungelolwabuthixo?

Ukuhlolisisa imizekelo embalwa yeBhayibhile kucacisa ukuba uYehova uThixo akaqhubani ngaloo ndlela nabantu bakhe. Xa wayefuna ukuba amaSirayeli agcine imibhiyozo yonyaka phantsi koMthetho kaMoses, uThixo wamisela imihla ethile waza wawaxelela indlela awayefanele ayenze ngayo loo mibhiyozo. (Eksodus 23:14-17; Levitikus 23:34-43) UYesu Kristu, nakubeni engazange ayalele ukuba kukhunjulwe ukuzalwa kwakhe, wabayalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba bagcine umhla omnye othile. ‘Ngobusuku awayeza kunikelwa ngabo,’ ngoNisan 14, 33 C.E., uYesu wasungula umsitho weSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa, esebenzisa isonka esingenagwele newayini. Wayalela oku: “Oku kwenzeleni ukundikhumbula.” (1 Korinte 11:23, 24) Ukulila kwexilongo okumayela nexesha nendlela yokubhiyozela iSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa kucacile yaye akunakuphazanywa. Ngoko kuthekani ngeKrismesi? EBhayibhileni akukho nokuba ube mnye umyalelo wokubhiyozelwa kokuzalwa kukaKristu, yaye ayisixeleli ngexesha nangendlela yokukwenza oko.

‘Ukuze Kuzuzwe Abantu’

Omnye umfundisi kwiCawa yamaZiyoni eTokyo wathi: “Owu, kambe ke ndiyazi ukuba iKrismesi inemvelaphi yobuhedeni, kodwa logama nje abantu abaqhelekileyo besiba nomdla kubuKristu ngoDisemba 25 ibe besiza ukuza kufunda ngeemfundiso zikaYesu Ohloniphekileyo, iKrismesi inendawo yayo kubuKristu.” Abantu abaninzi bayavumelana nokuqiqa kwakhe. Ngaba ukholelwa ukuba ukulalanisa okunjalo kufanelekile?

Bambi bema ngelokuba kwanoPawulos walalanisa ukuze azuze amakholwa. Wabhala oku: “Ndizenza ikhoboka lomntu wonke, ukuze ndizuze abantu abaninzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka . . . Xa ndisebenzisana nabeeNtlanga ndiphila njengoweeNtlanga ongekho phantsi koMthetho wamaYuda, ukuze ndibazuze abeeNtlanga. . . . Konke oku ndikwenza ngenxa yevangeli, ukuze ndizifumane iintsikelelo zayo.” (1 Korinte 9:19-23, Today’s English Version) Ngaba la mazwi ayakuthethelela ukwamkela umbhiyozo wobuhedeni ukuze kutsalelwe abeeNtlanga kubuKristu?

Khawuqwalasele ngenyameko umongo wamazwi kaPawulos. Kwindinyana 21, wathi: “Oku akuthethi ukuba andiwuthobeli umthetho kaThixo; ngokwenene ndiphantsi komthetho kaKristu.” (TEV) Ngoko akazange alalanise kwimibandela eyayiwaphula umthetho kaKristu, kodwa ‘waphila njengoweeNtlanga’ ngokuwahlonela amasiko noqheliselo lwasekuhlaleni ngoxa nje lwalungachasenanga nemiyalelo yamaKristu.a

Unoku engqondweni, cinga ngendlela ukwamkelwa kwemibhiyozo yobuhedeni ‘kubuKristu’ phantsi kwegama leKrismesi ekuya kubonakala ngayo xa kujongwa ngokwembono yalo myalelo ulandelayo weBhayibhile: “Musani ukunxulumana nabolunye uhlobo, abangakholwayo ke; kuba kunakwabelana kuni na ubulungisa nokuchasa umthetho? . . . Unasahlulelwano sini na okholwayo nongakholwayo? . . . Kungoko ndithi, Phumani phakathi kwabo, nizahlule, itsho iNkosi, nento engcolileyo ningayichukumisi; ndandiya kunamkela.” (2 Korinte 6:14-17) Kungakhathaliseki ukuba oku kuthethelelwa ngelithini na, ukumanyanisa ubuKristu nemibhiyozo yobuhedeni akuyondlela yokwamkela uYesu njengoMsindisi. Kwakuya kuba kokungafanelekanga ngenkulungwane yokuqala xa uYesu weza esenyameni, ibe akufanelekanga nanamhlanje okanye nakwixesha elizayo xa uKristu efika njengoKumkani ukuze aphumeze imigwebo kaThixo. (ISityhilelo 19:11-16) Enyanisweni, abo bakhetha ukubhiyozela imibhiyozo yobuhedeni phantsi kwesigqubuthelo “sobuKristu” basenokuba bayamkhanyela uYesu Kristu.

“AmaKristu Afihlakeleyo” Awazange Abuyiselwe

Khawufunde kokwenzekayo kumaKatolika eJapan ebudeni bolawulo lomkhosi kwelo lizwe. Xa ukucinezelwa kwenkqubo yobuKatolika kwaqalisayo ngowe-1614, amaKatolika aseJapan anokuba ngama-300 000 ayemele akhethe phakathi kwezinto ezintathu: ukuba ngabafeli-nkolo, ukukhanyela ukholo lwawo, okanye ukuluqhelisela ngokufihlakeleyo. Lawo ayeluqhelisela ngokufihlakeleyo eyebizwa ngokuba ngamaKristu afihlakeleyo. Ukuze afihle ukholo lwawo, ahambisana namasiko ahlukahlukeneyo amaBhuda nawamaShinto. Kwiinkonzo zawo, ayesebenzisa uMaria Kannon, osisithixo samaBhuda esikuhlobo lomama osingathe umntwana, esenza nje inkwalambisa yokunqula uMariya. Kwimibhiyozo yawo kwakukho iinkqubo zonqulo lamaBhuda, lwamaKatolika namasiko amaShinto. Noko ke, xa ayenyanzelwa ukuba aye kwimingcwabo yamaBhuda, ayevuma imithandazo yobuKristu ibe ayesenza imodoshi, umsitho wokusingela phantsi inkonzo yamaBhuda. Yintoni eyenzekayo kuloo “maKristu”?

Incwadi ethi The Hidden Christians ithi: “Olu nqulo lwendela ngokunzulu kumaKirishitans [amaKristu] amaninzi, ngokokude kube nzima ukuyeka ukunqula izithixo zamaShinto nezamaBhuda.” Xa unqulo lwawo lwavulwa umlomo baza abefundisi bamaKatolika babuyela eJapan, uninzi lwaloo “maKristu afihlakeleyo” lwanamathela kuhlobo lwawo lonqulo oluxutyiweyo.

Noko ke, ngaba iCawa yamaKatolika yayinokuwagxeka ngokusengqiqweni loo “maKristu afihlakeleyo” awalayo ukubuyiselwa kubuRoma Katolika? Ngokufanayo iCawa yamaKatolika iye yamkela iimfundiso nemibhiyozo emininzi yobuhedeni, kuquka iKrismesi. Ukuba amaKatolika namaProtestanti, nangona ezibabaza engamaKristu, aye abenza “ubuKristu” bawo baba bobobuhedeni ngemibhiyozo yobuhedeni, awanakuba na nawo ayamkhanyela uYesu Kristu?

Abuyiselwa KubuKristu Bokwenyaniso

USetsuko, umKatolika ozinikeleyo kangangeminyaka engama-36, ekugqibeleni wakuqonda oko. Emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, wazama ukwanelisa ubumoya bakhe ngokunxulumana necawa yamaKatolika. Wacinga oku xa waya kwiDini Lemisa langeKrismesi waza wabona imithi embejembeje yeKrismesi ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwecawa yakhe: ‘Hayi indlela okwakusanelisa ngayo!’ Wathi: “Ndaziva ndinelunda ngobu buyokoyoko buhle kangaka obabubugqwesa lee obo beecawa ezikufutshane.” Sekunjalo, uSetsuko wayengaziqondi ngokwenene iimfundiso zamaKatolika, nakubeni wayekhe wafundisa kwisikolo seCawa okwexeshana. Ngoko xa wayefuna ukubandakanyeka ngakumbi kumsebenzi wecawa, wabuza umfundisi wakhe imibuzo eliqela. Kunokuba aphendule imibuzo yakhe, umfundisi wamgxeka. Edanile, wagqiba kwelokuba azifundele ngokwakhe iBhayibhile. Kwiiveki ezimbini kamva, watyelelwa ngamaNgqina kaYehova, ibe wasamkela isifundo seBhayibhile sekhaya.

Ucacisa esithi: “Kwakusika ngaphakathi ukujongana neenyaniso zeBhayibhile ezaziphikisana neenkolelo zam zangaphambili. Kangangokuba ndaba nealopecia neurotica, ukuxhwitheka kweenwele ngenxa yokucaphuka. Noko ke, ngokuthe ngcembe ukukhanya kwenyaniso kwathi thaa entliziyweni yam. Ndakhwankqiswa kukufunda ukuba uYesu wayengenakuba wazalwa ngoDisemba oqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo noneemvula, xa abelusi babengenakuba besalusa izimvu zabo endle ebusuku. (Luka 2:8-12) Kwawuphelisa umbono wam ongokuzalwa kukaYesu, kuba sasisebenzisa uboya bomqhaphu size sibandlale phantsi njengekhephu ukuze sihombise iindawo zokuhlala iigusha nabelusi.”

Emva kokuba eyisekile koko iBhayibhile ikufundisayo ngokwenene, uSetsuko wagqiba kwelokuba ayeke ukubhiyozela iKrismesi. Akasenawo “umoya weKrismesi” obakho kanye ngonyaka kodwa ubonakalisa umoya wobubele wokupha kobuKristu ntsuku zonke.

Ukuba ukholelwa ngokunyanisekileyo kuKristu, musa ukucaphuka xa ubona abahedeni bengcolisa iKrismesi. Kuphela nje baphindaphinda oko yayikuko ekuqaleni—umbhiyozo wobuhedeni. IKrismesi ayikhokeleli nabani na ekwamkeleni uYesu Kristu, oye wabuya ngokungabonakaliyo njengoKumkani wasemazulwini. (Mateyu, isahluko 24 nesama-25; Marko, isahluko 13; Luka, isahluko 21) Kunoko, amaKristu okwenyaniso abonakalisa umoya ofana nokaKristu unyaka wonke, ibe avakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani, aye uYesu waba nguKumkani wabo. Leyo yindlela uThixo afuna ukuba simamkele ngayo uYesu Kristu njengoMsindisi wethu noKumkani woBukumkani.—INdumiso 2:6-12.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

AmaKristu okwenyaniso ahlonela uYesu unyaka wonke